The number of Americans living alone is growing and so is the number of singles who have pets, statistics show.

But while the benefits of animal companions are well documented, there’s also a potential downside, experts say. To avoid it, single dwellers need to think through their impulse to pair up with an animal and be ready to provide a pet with healthy environment, they add.

Let’s start with the numbers.

More than one quarter of the U.S. population now lives alone, according to a recent article in Forbes magazine. Thirty years ago that figure was 17 percent. The trend has momentum and is not likely to reverse, the article says.

The American Veterinary Medical Association’s 2012 U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook indicates that pet-owning singles have begun to close the gap with pet-owning families in the last five years. While the number of families with pets showed less than 1.5 percent growth, single adults with pets increased more than 16 percent.

David Haworth and his dog, Bridger. (Photo provided by Morris Animal Foundation)

True or false: Dogs contract cancer more often than cats but felines are harder to diagnose.

That’s true. Your cat could be dying and it probably wouldn’t let you know.

Felines are known for hiding illness, a throwback to their lives in the wild when anything that attracted predators could be fatal.

Dogs get out more and are exposed to more carcinogens than cats, according to a Denver expert. They are twice as likely to get cancer.

But even though most cats today stay primarily indoors, they’re still solitary, stoic souls — even in the face of a deadly disease that is contracted by an estimated 6 million felines annually.

The expert is David Haworth, president and CEO of the nonprofit Morris Animal Foundation in Denver. Morris is one of the leading animal health research institutions in the world, so Haworth, a veterinarian with a PhD in reproductive physiology, knows a thing or two about felines.

“An owner has to watch a cat closely to prevent cancer,” he says. “Owners must know who these cats are and look for changes in behavior. Do they not eat as much? Do they lose weight? Are their coats rough because they stop grooming? Do they have bumps? Put your hands on your cat.”

Morris Animal Foundation is known for looking at the big picture. It is currently funding 239 animal studies, including the biggest animal health study ever: A 10-year, $25 million in-depth look at the lives of 3,000 golden retrievers. The results could produce knowledge applicable to a variety of breeds.Read more…

Ever since Andrea Labak got her new dog Sesame from a shelter on Oct. 23, she and her husband have wondered what breeds make up the mixed-breed canine.

They decided to go online and get a DNA testing kit to find out.

The results are back and Andrea, an editorial assistant at the Denver Post, has her answer.

In the second part of her story, she reveals the solution to the mystery for Fetch readers:

Several weeks ago, we used a Wisdom Panel mixed-breed DNA test on our recently adopted German Shepherd-mix, Sesame.

We swabbed her cheeks, then sent the swabs in to the Wisdom Panel’s lab and eagerly waited for the results to show up via e-mail.

We finally got the results on Jan. 13.

Wisdom Panel sent a very cool PDF file that showed Sesame’s family
tree from great-grandparents down to her.

We found out, much to our surprise, that one side of her great-grandparents, grandparents and parents are Rottweiler breed dogs.

This was an absolute shock to my husband and I as Sesame’s build is very dainty and small. She doesn’t have a Rottweiler’s typical coloring, either.

Her other great-grandparents, grandparents and parents are Siberian Husky/German Shepherd mix.

This part was not as surprising as she looks very much like a German Shepherd with her tan/black color markings and big, pointy ears, and has the curled tail, sprightly build and multi-layered coat of a Siberian Husky.

We also found out she has a small bit of Chinook breed in her, which we can see in her orange color and smaller size.

Wisdom Panel also provided us with information on her predominant breed types, including temperaments, training tips and health problems to watch for.

We are very happy that we decided to do the test and would recommend it to anyone else who is curious about what breeds make up their mixed-breed dogs.

David Edelstein, with pit bulls, is trying to overturn Denver's ban of the breed.

A drive to place an issue on the Denver ballot this November to overturn the city’s pit bull ban has morphed into an international petition.

The goal of the petition, according to David Edelstein of the sponsoring Team-Pit-A-Full, is to “send a message to city officials that we are not letting this (issue) go quietly into the night as they would have it.”

Edelstein’s group backed off the ballot drive because of the lack of success of a preliminary event last year meant to educate Denver residents about the positive attributes of pit bulls.

The 100-mile walk around the outskirts of Denver was designed to highlight the belief of advocates that pit bull breeds are no more vicious than any other breed and shouldn’t be stigmatized.

Since the ban was put into place, hundreds of pit bulls have been seized and put to death. An unknown number of pit bull owners were forced to re-settle in the suburbs.

The issue, while no longer grabbing headlines, has simmered in the background with ongoing lawsuits to overturn the ban and a debate last year about whether the city would comply with a new federal law granting disabled people the right to have pit bulls as service dogs in Denver.

The service dog issue was resolved by an adminstrative action that presumably put the city in compliance with changes in the Americans With Disabilities Act. The city’s ordinance, however, was not changed.

Pit bull advocates lost their best ally on the city council last year with the death of council member Carla Madison, who supported changes in the ordinance.

Other council members have chosen to stand pat in light of polls showing continued support for the ordinance.

A leading metro area animal welfare figure who supports pit bulls even told Fetch recently that she was concerned Edelstein’s original ballot drive might harden council members’ resolve and delay the eventual ending of the ban.

While the issue plays out quietly in Denver, the Mile High City has become a major focus of pit bull advocates across the country, who view the city’s ordinance as one of the most stringent in the nation.

The Denver situation is also of high interest to surrounding cities, which have experienced an influx of the breed due to Denver’s ban.

Edelstein says his group’s new petition drive, called OccuPIT Denver, is getting results from around the world. After the March 21 deadline, his group will present results to Denver city officials and the media.

Many mainstream organizations also oppose breed-specific legislation, but Edelstein suggested they are sitting out his petition drive until his group shows there is sufficient support for overturning the ban.

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Animal tracks - A New York judge will decide a lawsuit over whether puppies have souls, according to a story in the New York Daily News.

In her civil suit, dog owner Elena Zakharova contends that pets — considered “property” under state law — are much more than that: living creatures that feel love and pain.

Zakharova says the upper East Side pet store that sold her a pooch with bum knees and trick hips should be liable for the pup’s pain and suffering, as if it were a person.

“Pets must be recognized as living souls, not inanimate property,” said Zakharova’s lawyer, Susan Chana Lask.

Cajun’s Closet, a popular thrift store that has raised funds for the Lakewood-based Cat Care Society since 1995, is being closed.

“The board has chosen to close Cajun’s Closet Thrift Shop and focus future efforts on the success of its cat shelter and clinic operations,” said Diane Stoner, president of the society’s board of directors.

The society’s shelter and clinic are located at 5787 W. 6th Avenue and the thift shop has been at 5707 6th Avenue. The shop’s final public sales are Dec. 31 from 9 a.m. until noon. Everything is 80 percent off.

Maggie Holben, a public relations profesional who is vice president of the society’s board, said the thift store became a financial drain on the non-profit society.

“It wasn’t a good business model,” Holben said. “The society had to staff it.” The tough economy has also taken its toll, she added.Read more…

Maria and Sophia France may be 7 and 5 years old
respectively, but their entrepreneurial spirit would make any adult proud.

The Westminster sisters, upset over the death of their 12-year-old pug last year, decided to raise money to help shelter dogs have a better shot at life.

With their parents’ help, they came up with the “Make a Sale, Save a Tail” project and sold Christmas scented lotions, raising more than $1,000 for Shelter-Me Photography.

The Colorado-based Shelter-Me nonprofit accelerates the adoption process for homeless animals by providing professional photography services at no charge to animal welfare agencies throughout the United States.

Like all good entrepreneurs, the girls decided to go bigger and better this year.

The girls are selling lotion again, but they’ve gotten an earlier start than in 2010 and hope to double the money raised.

And in addition to Shelter-Me Photography, they’ll give part of the proceeds to several other animal non-profits.

And that’s not all. The France family has plans to expand to sales next summer with two new lotions.

“It’s going excellent this year,” said the girls’ mom, Melissa. “The girls want to help everybody.

“They are learning how to be businesswomen and to give back. I’m extremely proud of them. If I’m having a busy day they say, ‘remember what we’re doing this for.’ ”

Maria and Sophia have added candles in all four scents that the lotions come in – Christmas Apple, Sugar Cookie, Cinnamon Sticks and Christmas Tree – and small fabric “biscuit” bags to their line of products.

“We have developed fundraising kits for shelters that would like to participate,” said the girls’ father, Michael. “We send them a set of lotions and candles in a nice display box for their counters and events. The shelters keep 100 percent of the profits on everything they sell!”

They are also in the process of starting The MariaSophia Foundation, which will focus its efforts on raising funds for animal and children’s welfare organizations throughout the United States.

Melissa and Michael France work in the skin care industry, so it was a natural to make scented lotions.

For retail stores and direct sales, the 8.9 oz. bottles of lotion sell for $8.50, the 4.0 oz. tin candles sell for $7.50 and the fabric bags sell for $8 for the small and $12 for the medium.

These products can be purchased throughout the holiday season online at www.advanskin.com or at many local retail locations listed on the girl’s website www.holidayhomeshop.com. You may also contact Maria and Sophia to order at fundraising4animals@gmail.com

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Animal tracks – The Aurora Animal Shelter is out with its list of holiday pet safety tips:

* Christmas means indoor trees, lights, tinsel and ornaments. Cats and kittens love to climb trees. Make certain the tree is securely anchored so it cannot tip it over.

* Always supervise your pet when it is out and around the tree to ensure it does not chew through the wiring and electrocute itself. Running the cord thru inexpensive PVC tubes prevents feet and paws from tripping over electrical wires. Taping the cord to walls also prevents tripping.

* Tinsel can wrap around your pet’s insides if digested and can be fatal. The same is true of ribbon used for tying gift packages.

* Many presents are decorated with brightly colored ribbons and bows. The dyes used in these items (and in wrapping paper) may be toxic.

* Wrap tree skirts closely around the base of the tree and closely supervise dogs and cats to ensure they don’t drink from the tree stand.

* Do not share rich holiday food that can upset a pet’s stomach or even cause pancreatitis.

* Pet-proof your trash so your dog or cat isn’t able to get to bones that can splinter and puncture your pet’s digestive tract. Aluminum foil, cellophane wrap and the strings tied around roasts and some other meats can cause vomiting and intestinal blockage.

* If hosting a holiday party, keeping pets in a separate room with a favorite toy with low volume music playing in the background can ease both the excitement and stress over visitors.

* Make certain all drink glasses are picked up and drained before going to bed so pets don’t ingest alcohol once they’re let out of their room. Alcohol can lead to comas and respiratory failure in pets.

* Chocolate is potentially deadly for both dogs and cats.

* Mistletoe and holly berries are toxic to dogs and cats. Poinsettias can cause mouth sores and vomiting if ingested.

* Since New Year’s Eve includes fireworks, make sure your pet is wearing proper ID in case it runs off. . . .

The Longmont Humane Society has announced the appointment of its new executive director, Liz Smokowski. Her training and education includes an Associate’s of Applied Science degree in Animal Health, a Bachelor’s in Biology and a Master’s in Business Administration. . . .

The Dumb Friends League is offering adoptions of two small mammals for the price of one. The League has more than 130 rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, rats and mice to choose from (ferrets excluded). The ongoing special takes place at both shelter locations — the Quebec Street shelter in Denver and the Buddy Center in Castle Rock. Adoption fees for small mammals range from $5 to $55. Information: ddfl.org or (303) 751-5772.

The Intermountain Humane Society is discounting feline adoption fees for the twelve days before Christmas in an attempt to send orphaned cats home for the holidays. Through Christmas Eve, the adult cat adoption fee is $12.25. Kitten adoption fees have been reduced by half.

Fans protest the presence of Michael Vick during a preseason NFL game in 2009. Vick resumed football after serving a sentence for dogfighting. He has since joined the Humane Society of the United States in speaking out against the blood sport.

Earlier this month, four large American newspapers carried full-page ads for a new group called the Humane Society for Shelter Pets.

The organization’s mission, the ad indicated, was to help local animal shelters get a bigger share of the funds that have been going to national animal welfare groups – specifically the Washington D.C.-based Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

Readers of the four papers – the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and USA Today – could be forgiven if they were confused about what was going on.

Fetch has looked into the matter and, by all appearances, what has been going on is a behind-the-scenes struggle between HSUS, the nation’s largest animal welfare organization, and a former Washington D.C. lobbyist who some believe pushes industry interests against groups such as the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.).

The former lobbyist, Richard Berman, now owns a public relations business and says he is simply a kind of “bare-knuckle-brawling advocate for free-market issues.”Read more…

Dr. Robyn Elmslie is searching for a "stepping stone" to fight a form of canine cancer.

Veterinary researchers in Colorado are trying to come up with a new method of treating a form of canine cancer.

If they are successful, the method could hold promise for humans, as well.

Cancer accounts for almost half of the deaths of pets over 10 years of age, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) reports that 60 percent of all dogs over age 6 will get cancer during their lifetime.

Dr. Robyn Elmslie, a veterinary oncologist with Veterinary Cancer Specialists, located at the VRCC Specialty and Emergency Hospital in Englewood, is leading a study to evaluate a new vaccine approach for treatment of non-Hodgkins lymphoma in dogs.Read more…

Fetch takes a topical look at a variety of issues affecting pets, including the latest research results.. It seeks to provide useful information for Colorado pet owners and to spotlight the work of Colorado animal welfare groups.